


courtship

by ennico



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Equius is a horse, M/M, Multi, Other, What else is new, anyways they’re all gay and in love, dave is trans, its not meant to be sexual though but just in case, mature tag only because i’m not sure if that one scene really counts as like general audiences, my hands hurt, nepeta is n.b., no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-18 00:00:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28733853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ennico/pseuds/ennico
Summary: “dave look at me !!”“nuh-uh, i’m respectin’ your jungle cattroll tidders, nep. no eyefuls for this gentleman. i am the epitome ah politeness. no other chump could ever compare with my- ”“dave shut up fur one second and look.”“oh”
Relationships: Dave Strider/Equius Zahhak, Nepeta Leijon/Dave Strider, Nepeta Leijon/Equius Zahhak/Dave Strider
Comments: 8
Kudos: 16





	courtship

Troll courtship wasn’t something you could particularly explain, since it was mostly a passed down societal tradition thing. Something you’d never had the ability to be a part of before the game, not really. Equius taught you everything he knew about propriety and rules and things you needed to do for each specific quadrant, but it wasn’t as if he could give you an example. No one, other than you, had ever filled a quadrant of his. Whenever he recalled your first meeting, his entire face and the tips of his ears flushed such a pretty indigo. Apparently, chancing upon your future moirail while completely bare in the Alternian woods (covered in blood, you remind him) is “improper” and “completely indecent”. Whatever, you made him happy now that you were wearing his blood color and brushed his hair as soon as you could get your paws on it. Anything for that wonderful diamond of yours. 

Instinctive courtship, on the other paw, was different. While a proper troll raised in a proper hive might’ve brought their flushcrush out on dates or taken them to go cull someone, you were most definitely not a proper troll. Every night, at the same time, you left a gift of something bloodied and dead. Dropped either right on his doorstep or deposited on his bed. Maybe you might’ve napped on his sheets and kneaded until you could feel the thread straining to not snap with the gentle force of your claws, but that was nobody’s business but yours. His bed smelled faintly like you, so that was good enough to let you leave. Dave never caught you during these excursions, since you brought your presents through the vents and then scurried off in them again. 

You know your precious diamond would be disappointed if you didn’t at least go on ONE date, so you announced to the others that you were holding a movie night in one of the many spots on the meteor. You let Karkat choose the movie, to keep him placated. And cause you rather liked his movie choices, even if some of the others didn’t agree. A movie let you be comfortable and in close proximity to your two most favorite people on the meteor. Equius sat at your side without you even needing to ask, which you couldn’t be more grateful for. Flashing him a dopey grin, and a diamond with your fingers, you caught the end of Dave’s cape with your claws. When you gestured to Equius, he nodded and followed you back. Gog you loved communicating without even needing words. 

Settling yourself down between a sturdy moirail and a small, comfy flushcrush, you couldn’t look any smuger. Karkat was chatting Sollux’s ears off before the movie started, and Kanaya and Rose looked particularly friendly in their corner. Everyone else was sitting somewhere behind your little trio, so you couldn’t be bothered to really look. You lean into Equius’s side, stretching your knees out just far enough that you could rest them on Dave’s legs a little. If you were feeling particularly bold, maybe you would’ve pulled him closer so that just maybe you could purr on him and Equius, but you werent. For now, this was enough.

Above your spot from resting your head on Equius’s rumblespheres, you can feel him glaring. Not at you, never at you. It’s directed at Dave, who only shows a smidge of discomfort in the way his shoulders are tense, but otherwise gives no indication of giving a shit. Getting your moirail and flushcrush to get along would be hard, but you are nothing if not determined. Maybe you will give them a nudge in the right direction, and they could become moirails too. Gog knows Dave needs one, and Equius could be a very gentle partner for someone like him. Likewise, Dave could help loosen Equius up a little more, with the way he speaks. Besides, you already know they both have a growing fondness for one another from afar, but they’d never do anything about it without your intervention. You just know your boys that well. 

You can hear Equius suck in a breath, ready to say something about “how dare you sit so close to my moirail and I when you’re an alien,” so you go ahead and press a paw to his cheek. Effectively papped, he settles for pressing a soft kiss to your horn, and that gesture alone sparks motor-loud purrs from you. The moirail effect, you’ve lovingly dubbed it. You calm him down, and he makes you braver than you could ever be on your own. You reach out a paw to Dave’s shoulder, very lightly patting his shoulder so he’ll tear his eyes away from the movie for a minute. In the dim room, and with him still wearing his shades, you can’t see his eyes but you can most definitely feel them on you. He complies when you gesture for him to come closer, and lets you pull him down so he’s resting his back on your lap and the top of his head on Equius’s lap. Very dangerous, but no risk, no reward. He hits the jackpot this time, thankfully. Equius is properly subdued, too flustered and sweaty to try and move Dave, and far too kind to ever actually hurt him by trying to. Your motor purrs only grow in volume when you knead Dave’s stomach, delighting in the stifled noises of surprise when your claws just barely prick at his skin. He’s red now and barely able to concentrate on the movie and by Terezi’s cackling from somewhere behind you, the purrbeast that got the cream is you, obviously. 

The movie was pretty good from what you saw, but being so comfortable and between the two people who made your pusher pound treacherously was just too much, and you’d fallen asleep. When you woke up, the room was cleaned of stray snacks and blankets, and the others had long since cleared out, according to their fading smell. Just you and your boys tonight. Equius sprawled out on the pillows, snoring quietly. Dave curled up against his side, looking very comfortable in his position with Equius’s arm held tightly to his chest. You waggle your eyebrows, clearly they had talked quite a bit while you were asleep. Finally. You couldn’t do ALL the work for them. Rolling your shoulders to get the ache in your back to go away, you look at them sleeping there peacefully. So quietly. 

This is what you live for, you think to yourself. These moments where you can just unwind with your quadrants and revel in the overwhelming love and adoration you have for them. Where you can lay your feelings bare for them, in this room, expose the most vulnerable part of your heart to them and know they’ll handle it gently. What you wouldn’t give to ensure that they live longer than the Condesce herself. It almost feels like you can’t breathe anymore, your lungs drowning in the bright red and pale and pink feelings you contain within your body. Since they look awfully cozy, and you can’t bring yourself to disturb them, you opt for curling up near their feet like a true purrbeast. Hopefully Dave doesn’t kick you in his sleep, but a couple bruises isn’t something you can’t handle. 

In your dreams, you see so many versions of yourself. You can feel the love radiating from their milky white eyes, from every bone in their bodies, from their horns to the tips of their tails. Each with their own Equius and Dave or Terezi or Feferi or Vriska. and it gives you something you hadn’t felt before for yourself. It gives you hope, something you wish you could go back in time and give to your younger self, tell them that you wouldn’t be lonely your whole lifespan. That your love isn’t just contained to quadrants, you will love so many people wholeheartedly, offer them your everything, and be given everything in return. You wish your Dave and Equius were here with you, watching your alternate selves fall in love over and over again. You are holding a lonely Equius’s hand, comforting him with coos and purrs since his Nepeta has yet to join him in the dreambubbles. It is just a simple fact that he will see you, your alternate self, soon. Until then, there are so many versions of yourself who will comfort him. Personally, you think it’s very romantic that you’re together in hundreds of timelines. 

When you wake, it is warm. His bare skin is feverishly warm, and you’d be alarmed if you didn’t know the bright color of his blood. Red, red, red like the flushed quadrants. Your other side is cool, warmth being sapped by Equius’s cold flesh. Dave is awake, judging by the yawning noise he makes. The first thing you note when you look up at him are his vibrant red eyes. Red like blood, red like your love, red red red. Against the white of his sclera, and the tan of his skin, he is breathtaking. You cannot breathe, and it feels like Dave’s red and Equius’s blue are all that ever were, ever will be. He props himself up further, and your eyes fall down to his bare chest. Just below his weird human pink things, are twin scars. They are so pale against his skin, but you can’t tear your eyes away. Dave makes a noise of discomfort, so you pull away from Equius’s side until your claws are on his skin, so gently. Tapping one of his scars with a claw, you ask for permission. His throat bobs, and you can hear his heavy swallow before he nods his consent. Eagerly, you lower yourself so your face is so close to his chest. His scars. A purr makes its way out from deep in your chest, and you pepper his scars with kisses. No inch goes untouched, and you are determined to mend his earlier discomfort. You think he is perfect, and it makes you sad he doesn’t think the same. After a couple of minutes of covering his chest with kisses, he finally lets a peal of laughter slip. Your nose twitches, and your whiskers along with it. There certainly were advantages to having tickly whiskers. 

From behind you, equius lets out a groggy noise. You and Dave immediately turn to look at him, you in your oversized shirt, Dave bare chested. He starts putting his hands up over his chest, but you shake your head at him calmly. Pressing your cheek to Equius’s shoulder and rubbing affectionately, you let him wake up properly. Your whiskers tickle his skin enough that he actually looks awake. Gesturing him over, the both of you scoot over to Dave’s side. Equius isn’t looking at his chest, but Dave’s eyes. Red. The lowest on the hemospectrum. You pride yourself on being able to get some of those silly notions out of his head, and Equius isn’t affronted by the color. On the contrary, he is completely enraptured. You put a paw up to cover up the giggles. They’re so cute together, and your pusher aches for them. Equius snaps out of it after a bit, and both he and Dave are flushed in their respective colors. Blue and red, blue and red. The chirp that rises from your throat gains their attention, and you start pulling up your shirt. Dave starts looking away, averting his eyes from your small rumblespheres. You let out an exasperated sigh, just pulling it off completely.

“dave look at me !!”

“nuh-uh, i’m respectin’ your jungle cattroll tidders, nep. no eyefuls for this gentleman. i am the epitome ah politeness. no other chump could ever compare with my- ”

“dave shut up fur one second and look.”

“oh”

You tap a claw on your grubscars, and then point to his scars excitedly. 

“you have grubscars !! just like me and equihiss, silly”

“hmmmmfgfhgh”

The strangled noise he makes is concerning, and he starts choking up, but he looks overwhelmingly happy. Equius pulls off his shirt too, showing off his indigo grubscars to Dave. 

“yes, grubscars. are they okay now ?”

“uhhmgh. yeah man, that shit doesn’t sting anymore. ‘s been a while since i got ‘em and whatever.”

Equius reaches out a hand, and you watch with bated breath as he runs a butterfly light touch across the scars. Dave looks so absolutely smitten, and you are content to just witness them in their moment. 

The three of you enter a weird courtship, one definitely not usual to troll standards. Both you and your moirail pursuing the same matesprit and having courting habits based off pure instinct. Were Equius anyone else, you certainly would’ve hissed and spat and snarled to defend what you wanted, but Equius was Equius. Your diamond. Sharing with him was something you’d done for so long, you couldn’t mind sharing Dave either. Dave, for his part, enjoyed being doted on and taken by two trolls. None of the others could get close to him during your late stages of courtship, since only you and Equius reserved the right to drench him in your scents. Whenever he wanted to go hang out with Karkat or talk to Rose and June, he pulled on one of your shirts and left. Your tag team left him alone then, since it was his way of saying he needed a break. He was so calm and patient with the two of you, even when you dragged him into a nearby closet to croon and purr and chirp at him, to mouth at his skin and then leave him a flustered mess. After one of these reaffirming sessions, you’d asked him if this was okay with him. If he was ok with you and Equius keeping him smelling like the both of you and dressing in your signs and colors, If it was ok that you were so possessive and needy during this stage of courtship. If he was ok being caught between pale and red. Being pink for him. Dave had reassured you that he was more than ok with it, and had he felt uncomfortable at any time he would’ve told you in private. 

“it’s real nice to be with you and eq, y’know ? makin me feel all wanted and shit. ‘s real nice, thanks neppers.”

With a quiet sigh, you put your chin on the top of his head. The position is a little awkward for your spine, since you’re taller than him by at least a head, and broader. But you make it work. You hum a rumbly note just in the back of your throat when his arms circle around you, hands looped around your neck. Human nails may be useless for hunting, but they are blunt and just perfect for scratching that spot right behind your ear. Immediately, you go boneless on him, and both of you tumble under your weight. His laughter is infectious, and you join in on the noise. You are face to face on the floor snorting and giggling until Equius finds you holding your sides in pain and howling with laughter. 

Things calm down a little after that, and Equius wipes the tears streaming down your cheeks. Dave makes a little whiny noise, and Equius croons at him. He tips Dave’s head up so gently, presses a soft kiss to his cheeks, the tip of his nose, his eyelids, and finally his mouth. You think you could revel in the sight of them together forever, if it could be like that. Just you and your quadrants. Equius turns to you after Dave slumps back down to the floor, cheeks burning. You smile up at him, and he smiles back at you, broken teeth and chapped lips and all. You are almost as tall as he is, but down on the floor he looks strong and mountainous and soft and loving. His eyes are full of warmth and longing and affection for you, and you can hardly stand being separated from him for too long. Putting your claws up in the air and clenching and unclenching them in a “pick me up” gesture, he obliges and pulls you to your feet. The soft beans on the fuzzy purrbeast toes of your feet brush against his hooves, and suddenly you are standing chest to chest. Since your mouth is just barely chin level, you rasp your tongue over it playfully. He sputters, the barbs on it always catching him off guard. Equius gives you a weird little chirping noise, just like the one he gives dave after kissing him sometimes. You’re quickly tumbling horns first into pink territory, so you reach up and scratch at his hornbed lightly in response. That really does pull a purr out, a rarity from him. A poke on your hip has your tail lashing for a moment before you realize it's Dave, gotten up from melting and becoming one with the floor. He takes his shades off and leaves it on a box before squeezing in between you and Equius. Your palemate (flushcrush ? matesprit ? who knows) moves backwards a little to make room for Dave between your chests, and he looks rather content to be enveloped by two trolls who could squish him flat. Humans are so funny. However, you would never hurt him and he knows it. The three of you stay there for a while longer, combing and curling Dave’s hair with your claws while Equius lets out rusty, stuttering purrs. Dave is content to rest his head on Equius’s rumblespheres, hands resting on your hips. Sometimes when your claws scrape against his skull in that particular manner he likes, he pats your side affectionately and lets out a noise of contentment. You could stay here forever, if they’d let you. 

Later on, when the others ask why you’re always disappearing with them, you just say it's a courting ritual.

**Author's Note:**

> im just posting as i finish these, hope you enjoy my stupid little brain’s creation
> 
> i’ll try to write solnep next but i am absolutely horrible at writing sollux properly so don’t get your hopes up too high


End file.
